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thoughts on a new phono stage

So it looks like my Firebottle phono stage is probably now sold so I'm interested to hear people thoughts on the next step.

I have to say I've really enjoyed the Firebottle but I've a few spare quid and for no other reason than that am looking for something new to play with.

Given recent bake-offs I am hoping to hear one of those stages that cant be discussed here and I will say no more on that front. I'm also interested in hearing a Croft stage as well but wonder if that will be more of a sideways step than anything significantly better than the FB. Looking on Glenn's website he only offers the 1 stage but I was wondering if he offers any other upgrades or improvements to it?

Other than that what else should I be looking at ? I'm not adverse to SS or valve, my budget new or used is about £650.00 and will really only be used with an AT150 (but it would be nice to have the ability to switch to a MC at a later date too)

I have tried quite a few phono stages in my system & heard a lot more at bake offs & whatnot, plus I owned a Firebottle Plus for a while so I know how they sound, which is very good, I would probably have kept it longer or upgraded it had I not found some cash for a big upgrade.
I used a Dynavector P75 mk3 for a while & really liked it until I heard the Firebottle, which was better by quite a bit, & I found moving on from the FB difficult, sometimes it is not so much that you get a better phono, just that you prefer a different presentation, & often what you gain on the roundabout you lose on the swings.
If you can find one a Kinshaw Perception SA 2 box MM/MC is easily in budget & is the best SS phono I have heard under say £500. Really very good. The Rega Aria is very good too, £800 ish new so should be easy to find second hand. Icon Audio's PS1 mk1 is also very good but I think just outside your budget unless things have changed recently. All the what I call mainstream phono's such as Graham Slee, Trichord & Lehmann mid-priced offerings were all bested by the Firebottle IMO.
I had a similar budget to you when I was looking & in the end I had to up it considerably to get a clear winner, but isn't that always the way!

I don't have a great deal of experience with phono preamps, but I got a great price used for my older Musical Surroundings Phonomena. I paid less than $500 shipped. Sold for a grand new, at that time. It's a two box unit, with a clever battery power supply. The wall pack charges the battery, and the unit runs off the batteries, actually two battery packs. It's all solid state, and I never expected a lot from it.

But it sure has proven itself at every turn! Every upgrade I've made, it has kept up with. And every time I think I know how good it sounds, I'll upgrade something and it's even better! While it may no have the air and space that some have, it's got plenty, and also has that boogie factor, that thing that makes your toe tap. But the main reason I got it, and keep it, is the unlimited adjustability, it can match up to pretty much any cartridge made. I've run both MM and MC, even low output MC, and thought it sounded very impressive. Since then improvements in my amplification have revealed even more of its benefits, the deeper I dig, the more it shows.

Sure I'm curious to see how it stacks up to others, I've got an eye out for a used Jolida, just to see how it compares, but for the money I've got in it, I sure can't complain.

I've always had a soft spot for the Graham Slee phono stages from the Era Gold upwards. I've no idea how it compares to the Firebottle as I haven't heard one (I havent heard Jez's phono stage either which is probably worth looking at too) but for me they are very good indeed, probably my favorite non-valve phono stage (that I've heard anyway). It's worth going for the better PSU.

You can buy a MC version of one of them (can't remember the name) but the MM ones work superbly and they do an excellent matching head amp if / when you need it.

Hi Ben, here is a suggestion.
I have a modified Tron Convergence which is really a Firebottle convergence now with the improvements and circuit changes made. It owes me £750, however it is only MC at the moment.
I can either fit extra sockets and a switch to give MC/MM capability, or remove the SUT's and offer it as MM for £650.

It really has an excellent holographic sound, as others will attest to.
As it is modified the Tron warranty is no longer valid but I will give continued support for it, to my usual after sales level of good service.